Participatory budgeting - pioneered in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and now practised in hundreds of cities worldwide, from New York to Edinburgh - gives residents direct influence over how a portion of the public budget is spent. The public meetings that are central to this process generate proposals, debates and priorities that must be faithfully recorded to demonstrate that citizen voices genuinely shaped the outcome.
Capturing citizen voices authentically
With Listen, the public participation meeting is recorded. The AI summary extracts: themes raised by residents, projects proposed, objections noted, and priorities emerging from the discussion. This documentation demonstrates to residents - and to funding bodies - that their contributions were captured and considered. For the formal council meetings that adopt participatory budget decisions, see our article on council meetings.
Publish a summary of each neighbourhood meeting on the council website. This transparency builds the trust in the process that sustains participation over successive budget cycles.
View our plans for local authorities and community organisations.